Pass the CPA Exam With These Preparation Tips

Pass the CPA Exam With These Preparation Tips

Passing the CPA exam may be a frustrating project, especially if you have heard of the number of people that have had to sit through several sections multiple times before finally passing the CPA. Below are several tips for CPA preparation that have helped me to pass the CPA exam, and I'm quite sure that they will help you also. You will pass the CPA exam, eventually – it is inevitable unless you give up.

1)Obtain the Appropriate Mentality

Passing the CPA is by no means easy. This is a tremendous project that can take lots of time and perseverence in order to accomplish. Some people fail multiple sections multiple times before ultimately passing all 4 sections. Brace yourself for the possibility that you may fail several sections before you can pass them, and accept that as a typical part of the journey of getting your CPA. Then again, you'd want to remind yourself of earlier accomplishments that serve as concrete proof of your capabilities, for example having a university degree. Innumerable other people have struggled through and passed the CPA exam ultimately, and you also will.

2)Ask for Assistance From People Around You

Trying to pass the CPA is not a simple project, however you do not have to go about it by yourself. You can ask for help from your friends & family members by explaining to them the reason why you want to pass the CPA and how time-consuming this project is. If they are supportive of what you're trying to accomplish, they may assist you with some of your present duties (e.g. household chores such as cleaning & cooking), and will understand if you can’t attend every gathering.

3)Be Physically Healthy

Poor health can have catastrophic consequences on mental acumen, which can seriously impact on the ability to think & study. Eat a well-balanced diet, exercise adequately, and above all, get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night, and take a 15-30 minute nap in the afternoon if you have to. Also, don’t neglect to schedule regular rest breaks – they'll help you to stay refreshed and focused, and as well help your brain to absorb knowledge more easily when you return after the study break. Studying for the CPA can be quite a battle. In order to pass the exam, you need to keep your mind and body in great shape.

4)Make Use of a Reputable CPA Review Course

The best CPA exam review courses available today come with DVD lectures that teach difficult concepts so much better than books can. The better CPA review programs are even accompanied by a list of practice exam questions spend time on, that are most likely to appear on the real exam. The best CPA exam review courses come with phone support to allow you to call in to ask for further explanation on the study materials, and obtain immediate answers and detailed clarification from live trainers. Without question, investing in a good CPA exam review course can drastically reduce your exam prep time and improve your chances of passing the CPA exam.

5)Find a Study Buddy - Or Two

Search out other people that are also preparing for the CPA exam where you live and invite them to study with you. CPAnet.com has a forum where you can post or answer to a request for study partners. Set up a strict schedule and request for everyone to commit to it by putting studying ahead of other obligations. Studying with others can help you to be more disciplined, and two (or three) heads are often better than one when it comes to solving challenging concepts or questions. When you're feeling frustrated, your study buddies may just give you the emotional support you need to keep at it – after all, they’re in the same boat you are and should understand how you feel.

6)Take On One Section At a Time

Most people find it overwhelming when trying to take on all CPA sections at any one time. There's just too much material to cover and understand at the same time. A better strategy would be to concentrate only on studying for one section at a time, pass the exam for that section, take a break, and then start studying for the next section etc. Another suggestion would be to try for the hardest section first (the one that is hardest for you – this will vary from person to person), because as soon as you pass your first section, you only have eighteen months to pass your remaining sections. Getting rid of that hardest section first will minimize your chances of running out of time and having the eighteen-month window expire on you.

7)Identify Problem Areas

Reviewing materials you know the best will make you feel good about yourself, but it likely won't help your exam scores by much in the end. To get the highest rate of return for your time and effort, spend it on learning material you have the most trouble with. Look through all of your learning materials, identify your weak areas, and focus on them

concentrate on them until you have conquered them.

8)Take Lots of Notes

It is crucial to take lots of notes while you’re studying, so that you’ll have something to study from during the last several days before the actual exam. Since your short-term memory is, well, short-term, materials you review during those last several days will be remembered the most clearly on your exam day. This small window of time is simply not enough for you to review all your study materials from start to end, so be sure you have a comprehensive set of study notes that you can memorize during the last few precious days before your exam.

9)Use a Stopwatch

When you're doing practice questions, time yourself like you're actually doing the exam. This will condition your brain to work under pressure and prepare you more effectively for the actual exam. Also, by getting used to being timed, you’ll be less likely to panic on exam day when you can't come up with the answer to a problem.

10)Practice Makes Perfect

Try to do as many practice problems for as many times as you have time for. By doing this, not only will you understand the material better, but you’ll also feel more self-assured about your odds of passing the exam – both of which will result in increasing your exam score!

Find out about how David Bryant has finally managed to pass 3 previously failed CPA sections over the course of only 10 months, with flying colors, in his blog http://www.PassTheCPAExam.org.